Method and apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor layer and substrate provided therewith

Abstract

A semiconductor layer and a method and an apparatus for its manufacturing are disclosed. The semiconductor layer includes at least one compound of the formula M 1 a M 2 1-a N, where M 1 is selected from group 13 of the periodic table and M 2 is selected from the group comprising scandium, yttrium, erbium, and europium and where the parameter a is selected between 0.01 and 0.99. The method includes supplying a first precursor into a reaction chamber, the first precursor including at least M 2 and being supplied to the reaction chamber at a molar flow rate of at least 1·10 −6 mol/min by providing the first precursor by means of a first bubbler from which it is evaporated and supplied to the reaction chamber, the temperature of the first bubbler being more than 90° C.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for manufacturing at least one semiconductor layer on at least one substrate by metal organic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD), said apparatus comprising:
 a reaction chamber, 
 at least one heatable substrate holder located inside the reaction chamber, 
 a gas inlet connected to the reaction chamber, 
 a header line coupled to the gas inlet to the reaction chamber, 
 a first bubbler configured to accommodate a first precursor, the first bubbler having an inlet and an outlet and a heater, wherein the outlet of the first bubbler is coupled to the header line by means of a first pipe, wherein said first pipe is in thermal contact with at least one pipeline heater, 
 a first mass flow controller coupled to the inlet of the first bubbler and configured to control a flow of a carrier gas to the inlet of the first bubbler, 
 a pressure gauge arranged in the first pipe and configured to measure a total pressure within the first pipe resulting from evaporated first precursor mixed with the carrier gas, 
 a second bubbler configured to accommodate a second precursor, the second bubbler having an inlet and an outlet, wherein a carrier gas of the same species with the carrier gas is also supplied to the second bubbler via the inlet of the second bubbler, and the outlet of the second bubbler is coupled to the header line via a second pipe, and 
 wherein the header line couples both the first pipe and the second pipe to the gas inlet to the reaction chamber, and includes at least one switch valve for selectively temporarily exhausting to an exhaust gas line the evaporated first precursor mixed with the carrier gas in the first pipe or the evaporated second precursor mixed with the carrier gas in the second pipe. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising further a carrier gas supply line being coupled to the inlet of said first bubbler and being in thermal contact with at least one other pipeline heater. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the first mass flow controller is arranged in the carrier gas supply line at a location not in thermal contact with the at least one other pipeline heater. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising further a check valve being arranged in the first pipe coupling the outlet of the first bubbler to said header line. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said heater comprises any of a heat bath comprising a heat transfer medium or a heating cabinet, the interior of which is adapted to receive the bubbler. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising further a gas inlet heater being in thermal contact with said gas inlet. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one first pipeline heater is selected from any of a resistance heater being in thermal contact with any of the first pipe and a carrier gas supply line or an outer pipeline surrounding any of the first pipe or the carrier gas supply line and comprising a heat transfer liquid filling the gap between the outer pipeline and the first pipe or the gap between the outer pipeline and the carrier gas supply line. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 7 , comprising further a pump being configured to pump said heat transfer liquid through the gap between the outer pipeline and the first pipe or the gap between the outer pipeline and the carrier gas supply line respectively.